Han Xiao would like to help people to realize their idea of beauty through modern medical technological manipulation. According to Hegel’s teaching: Beauty is the adequacy of the Idea to its sensuous form and art is the sensuous form of the Idea, Han Xiao’s surgery of beautifying the body could be a kind of fine art.

Due to the development of new technology, the reality including our body is no longer unchangeable. The whole world is transforming from “hardware” to “software”. We can actualize our idea of beauty not only in the fictional art world but also in the everyday life. Aestheticians call it the turn of aestheticization. Han Xiao’s performance is one of the results of the aestheticization processes.

If we can alter our body at will, our identity would be open to question. Accordingly, the principles and propositions in politics, law, ethics, and philosophy based on bodyidentity would be alsoopen to question. Han Xiao’s performance would inspire us to think about these questions which are beyond the art circle. Moreover, we should seriously think of how to adapt ourselves to a post-human society.

If we expand the concept of plastic operation from body to spirit and even society, we should beautify not only our bodies, but also our spirits and societies. In so doing, art is not only representing the world, but changing it.